This very short book is unfortunately not a very good book. If you want to know what Freud thought about things, probably the best place to start is Freud himself. Author Anthony Storr concedes that Freud was an excellent writer, even in translation, and quite convincing. But this book — meant to introduce people to the ideas of the Viennese psychoanalyst — is not a great place to start. Storr wants to assert his independence, to produce an account that is respectful but not hagiographic. His gripes about Freud are many and this short book sometimes repeats the same critical remark or thought. If the purpose of the book was to encourage one to go back to the source, then it worked. I for one will continue my exploration of Freud’s ideas by reading his books rather than hearing them interpreted by someone who seems to hold a bit of a grudge. ( )

Pequeno livro simples e direto introduzindo o trabalho de Freud de modo didático e compreensível, já apontando, em despeito da sua genialidade, influência e contribuição, os problemas de sua obra (sua obstinação teimosa e tendência excessiva à generalização, seu pendor por fazer uma filosofia no sentido de "abordagem de tudo", sua cegueira experimental, quando a teoria ditava o que devia esperar), bem como comentários aqui e ali sobre a posição de algumas de suas concepções perante o avanço hodierno da psicologia. Como leitura para quem leu pouco Freud e sem grandes pretensões, é bem vindo. Termina com uma apreciação da conexão Freud-Darwin e sua contribuição para a popularização da psicanálise, como algumas palavras sobre a pluralidade de práticas desse segmento. ( )

Solid introduction to Freud and psychoanalytic theory. Short quick and to the point. ( )

After a brief account of Freud's early life the author traces significant developments in Freud's thinking over the rest of his life.

There were some points where I felt a bit lost in the technical terms but for the most part this was a reasonably accessible account of Freud's thinking with commentary throughout on how well the ideas had stood the test of time and further discoveries in anthropology as well as psychology. The author particularly stresses Freud's contribution to psychotherapeutic method over his theoretical ideas. ( )

This is a brief overview of the main facets of Freud's thought and legacy. It is written with an unusual lucidity for the subject, although sometimes I found myself wanting more detail. Most of Freud's concepts are only given a very general outline. The book is also pretty dated when it comes to questions of sex and sexuality. The author, for instance, talks of their own practice as a therapist and his attempt to "cure" a man of transvestism. Really, OUP ought to commission a new Brief Introduction to Freud that is more reflective of where psychoanalytical thought currently is. ( )